Thursday, January 18, 2007

It's been cold here. Now I know all y'all in the more northern climates are thinking "they don't KNOW cold in California". Heck... these days... some of y'all in the SOUTHERN climates are thinking that too.

According to VW (my handy dandy thermometer on my Jetta) it was a balmy 26 degrees this morning. I thought it was closer to 36. Last I had looked at it, it was 39. I looked at it at that point because the Jetta warns me when the temp is 39 degrees. The display blinks and a chime chimes to let me know... HEY! It's cold out there! Watch for ice.

My chime has been chiming a lot lately.

But as I looked around the parking lot at the grocery store I noticed those crazy Californians doing what they always do.... Walking around in short sleeves. One would think Sacramento Valley inhabitants (who don't hardly blink at 110 degrees for 5 days straight) would be the first to pull out the long woolies as soon as the temp dips below 50. But like heat, dry cold isn't as cold as wet cold. And we haven't had wet cold. Fog? Have we HAD a foggy day?? Maybe a foggy morning... I don't think we've had a day of fog yet. Not that I'm complaining, mind you.

It's been cold here. My friends in places like Minnesota and Wisconsin have been grousing about how ponds aren't frozen over. Huh. The holding ponds (for the mosquito fish) at Mosquito and Vector Control were frozen over on Monday. I don't think one would want to skate on them.... but frozen over they were. The big lake/pond/whatever next to them wasn't. Maybe the geese and ducks (and occasional swan... we have wild swans around here) kept it moving enough through the night.

Our neighbors keep watering their lawns at night...and overwatering as usual. So sidewalks are dangerously slippery.

It might not be below freezing.... but this is cold for us. We don't know how to behave. We don't wear coats. We don't turn off sprinklers. The only thing we do is wrap towels around our outside pipes after the news reminds us to do so to keep them from freezing.

This morning, a major water main burst underground a major intersection. The cold is the suspected culprit. It's been cold enough to freeze an underground pipe. They are struggling to get it turned off and much of the road has been washed away.

I can hear you Canadians laughing. I know you Yankees are shaking your heads. It's ok. This summer we'll be doing just fine in our 110+ degree heat. We'll be wondering what y'all are complaining about when it hits 90 at your house. We don't even call that "hot".